[9,26] Ἐπεὶ δ´ αἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν ἐβράδυνον ἀγοραί, τὰ δ´ ἐντὸς τείχους τροφῆς ἐχόμενα πάντα κατανάλωτο, ἀποστροφὴ δὲ τῶν κακῶν οὐδεμία ἦν ἑτέρα, ἀλλὰ δυεῖν θάτερον ἐχρῆν, ἢ τοὺς πολεμίους ἐκβαλεῖν ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἁπάσῃ δυνάμει παρακινδυνεύσαντας, ἢ τειχήρεις μένοντας ὑπὸ λιμοῦ τε καὶ στάσεως διαφθαρῆναι, τὸ κουφότερον αἱρούμενοι τῶν κακῶν ἔγνωσαν ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων δεινοῖς. προαγαγόντες δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως περὶ μέσας νύκτας διέβησαν τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπὶ σχεδίαις καί, πρὶν ἡμέραν λαμπρὰν γενέσθαι, πλησίον τῶν πολεμίων κατεστρατοπέδευσαν. τῇ δ´ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ προελθόντες ἔταξαν ὡς εἰς μάχην τὸν στρατόν. εἶχε δὲ τὸ μὲν δεξιὸν τῶν κεράτων Οὐεργίνιος, τὸ δ´ εὐώνυμον Σερουίλιος. ἰδόντες δ´ αὐτοὺς εὐτρεπεῖς ὄντας οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα σφόδρα ἐχάρησαν, ὡς ἑνὶ τῷ τότε κινδύνῳ κατὰ νοῦν χωρήσαντι τὴν Ῥωμαίων καθελοῦντες ἀρχήν, εἰδότες, ὅτι πᾶν, ὅσον ἦν κράτιστον στρατιωτικὸν αὐτῶν, εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐκεῖνον ὥρμητο, καὶ δι´ ἐλπίδος ἔχοντες, ἐν ᾗ πολὺ τὸ κοῦφον ἦν, ῥᾳδίως αὐτῶν κρατήσειν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν μετὰ Μενηνίου δύναμιν ἐν δυσχωρίαις παραταξαμένην σφίσιν ἐνίκησαν. γενομένης δ´ ἰσχυρᾶς καὶ πολυχρονίου μάχης πολλοὺς μὲν ἀποκτείναντες Ῥωμαίων, πολλῷ δ´ ἔτι πλείονας τῶν σφετέρων ἀποβαλόντες ἀνεχώρουν βάδην ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα. ὁ μὲν οὖν Οὐεργίνιος τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἔχων οὐκ εἴα διώκειν τοὺς σφετέρους, ἀλλ´ ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθώματι μένειν, ὁ δὲ Σερουίλιος ὁ τεταγμένος ἐπὶ θατέρου κέρως ἐδίωκε τοὺς καθ´ ἑαυτὸν ἑπόμενος ἄχρι πολλοῦ. ὡς δ´ ἐν τοῖς μετεώροις ἐγένετο, ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ Τυρρηνοί, καὶ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐπιβοηθησάντων, ἐνσείουσιν αὐτοῖς. οἱ δ´ ὀλίγον τινὰ δεξάμενοι χρόνον ἐγκλίνουσι τὰ νῶτα, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ λόφου διωκόμενοι σποράδες ἀπώλλυντο. μαθὼν δὲ Οὐεργίνιος, ἐν οἵαις ἦν τύχαις ἡ τὸ ἀριστερὸν κέρας κατέχουσα στρατιά, πᾶσαν ἔχων τὴν δύναμιν ἐν τάξει πλαγίαν ἦγε διὰ τοῦ ὄρους ὁδόν. γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ νώτου τῶν διωκόντων τοὺς σφετέρους, μέρος μέν τι ταύτῃ καταλείπει τῆς στρατιᾶς κωλύσεως ἕνεκεν τῶν ἐκ τοῦ χάρακος ἐπιβοηθησόντων, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν αὐτὸς ἄγων ἐπεφέρετο τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἐν δὲ τούτῳ καὶ οἱ μετὰ τοῦ Σερουιλίου θαρσήσαντες τῇ παρουσίᾳ τῶν σφετέρων ὑποστρέφουσί τε καὶ καταστάντες ἐμάχοντο. κυκλωθέντες δ´ ὑπ´ ἀμφοῖν οἱ Τυρρηνοὶ καὶ οὔτε πρόσω διεκπορευθῆναι δυνάμενοι διὰ τοὺς ὁμόσε χωροῦντας, οὔτ´ ὀπίσω φεύγειν ἐπὶ τὸν χάρακα διὰ τοὺς κατόπιν ἐπιόντας, οὐκ ἀνάνδρως, ἀτυχῶς δ´ οἱ πλείους κατεκόπησαν. γενομένης δ´ οἰκτρᾶς νίκης περὶ τοὺς Ῥωμαίους, καὶ οὐ παντάπασιν εὐτυχὲς τέλος εἰληφότος τοῦ ἀγῶνος οἱ μὲν ὕπατοι πρὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καταστρατοπεδευσάμενοι τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν νύκτα ηὐλίσαντο, οἱ δὲ κατέχοντες τὸ Ἰάνικλον Τυρρηνοί, ἐπειδὴ οὐδεμία παρὰ τῶν οἴκοθεν ἤρχετο ἐπικουρία, καταλιπεῖν ἔκριναν τὸ φρούριον, καὶ ἀναστρατοπεδεύσαντες νυκτὸς ἀπῆραν εἰς τὴν Οὐιεντανῶν πόλιν ἐγγυτάτω σφίσι τῶν Τυρρηνίδων πόλεων κειμένην. τοῦ δὲ χάρακος αὐτῶν οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι κρατήσαντες τά τε χρήματα διαρπάζουσιν, ὅσα ὑπελείποντο ἀδύνατα ὄντα ἐν φυγῇ φέρεσθαι, καὶ τραυματίας λαμβάνουσι πολλούς, τοὺς μὲν ἐν ταῖς σκηναῖς ἀπολειφθέντας, τοὺς δ´ ἀνὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἅπασαν ἐστρωμένους. ἀντείχοντο γάρ τινες γλιχόμενοι τῆς οἴκαδε ὁδοῦ καὶ διεκαρτέρουν παρὰ δύναμιν ἀκολουθοῦντες, εἶτα βαρυνομένων αὐτοῖς τῶν μελῶν ἡμιθνῆτες κατέρρεον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὓς οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἱππεῖς ἐπὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ προελθόντες ἀνείλοντο· καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ἔτι πολέμιον ἦν καθελόντες τὸ φρούριον καὶ τὰ λάφυρα ἄγοντες ἧκον εἰς τὴν πόλιν, τὰ σώματα τῶν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ τελευτησάντων κομίσαντες οἰκτρὰν ὄψιν ἅπασι τοῖς πολίταις διὰ πλῆθός τε καὶ ἀρετὴν τῶν ἀπολομένων. ὥσθ´ ὁ μὲν δῆμος οὔθ´ ἑορτάζειν ὡς καλὸν ἀγῶνα κατορθώσας ἠξίου, οὔτε πενθεῖν ὡς ἐπὶ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἀνηκέστῳ συμφορᾷ· ἡ δὲ βουλὴ τοῖς μὲν θεοῖς τὰς ἀναγκαίους ἐψηφίσατο θυσίας, τὴν δ´ ἐπινίκιον τοῦ θριάμβου πομπὴν οὐκ ἐπέτρεψε ποιήσασθαι τοῖς ὑπάτοις. μετ´ οὐ πολλὰς δ´ ἡμέρας ἀγορᾶς ἐπλήσθη παντοδαπῆς ἡ πόλις τῶν τε δημοσίᾳ πεμφθέντων καὶ τῶν εἰωθότων ἐμπορεύεσθαι πολὺν εἰσαγαγόντων σῖτον, ὥστ´ ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ πάντας εὐετηρίᾳ γενέσθαι.

[9,26] But when the provisions from outside were slow in coming and all the food supplies in the city had been consumed and there was no other means of averting the evils but to choose one of two courses (p7)— either to hazard an engagement with all their forces, in order to drive the enemy out of the country, or by remaining shut up within the walls to perish both by famine and by sedition — they chose the lesser of these evils and resolved to go forth to meet the perils from the enemy. Marching out of the city, therefore, with their forces, they crossed the river about midnight on rafts, and before it was broad daylight encamped near the enemy. The next day they came out of their camp and drew up their army for battle, Verginius commanding the right wing and Servilius the left. The Tyrrhenians, seeing them ready for the contest, rejoiced greatly, believing that by this single battle, if it turned out according to their wish, they would overthrow the empire of the Romans; for they knew that all their foes' best soldiery was entered in this contest, and they entertained the hope, which was very ill founded, of defeating them with ease, since they had conquered the troops of Menenius when these had been arrayed against them in a disadvantageous position. But after a sharp and protracted battle, in which they killed many of the Romans but lost many more of their own men, they began to retreat gradually toward their camp.Verginius, who commanded the right wing, would not permit his men to pursue the enemy, but urged them to rest content with the advantage they had gained; Servilius, however, who was posted on the other wing, pursued the foes who had faced him, following them for a long distance. But when he reached the heights, the Tyrrhenians face about and, those in the camp coming to their aid, they fell upon the Romans. These, after receiving their attack for a short time, turned their backs (p9) and, being pursued down hill, were slain as they became scattered. When Verginius was informed of the plight of the left wing of the army, he led his entire force in battle array by a transverse road that passed over the hill. Then, finding himself in the rear of those who were pursuing his troops, he left a part of his army there to block any who should be sent from the camp to the relief of their comrades, and he himself with the rest attacked the enemy. In the meantime the troops also under Servilius, encouraged by the arrival of their comrades, faced about and, standing their ground, engaged. The Tyrrhenians, being thus surrounded by both forces and being unable either to break through in front, by reason of those who engaged them, or to flee back to their camp, by reason of those who attacked them in the rear, fought bravely but unsuccessfully, and were almost all destroyed.The Romans having thus gained a melancholy victory and the outcome of the battle being not altogether fortunate, the consuls encamped before the bodies of the slain and there spent the following night under the open sky. The Tyrrhenians who were occupying the Janiculum, when no reinforcements came to them from home, decided to abandon the fortress; and breaking camp in the night, they withdrew to Veii, which lay nearest to them of the Tyrrhenian cities.The Romans, having possessed themselves of their camp, plundered all the effects which the enemy had left behind as being impossible to carry away in their flight, and also seized many of their wounded, part of whom had been left in their tents, while others lay scattered all along the road. For some, eager to be on their way home, were holding out and with hearts (p11) stout beyond their strength were persisting in following their comrades; then, when their limbs grew heavy, they collapsed half dead to the ground. These the Roman horsemen slew as they advanced a good distance along the road. and when there was no longer any sign of the enemy, the army razed the fortress and returned to the city with the spoils, carrying with them the bodies of those who had been slain in the battle — a piteous sight to all the citizens by reason both of the number and of the valour of those who had perished. Accordingly, the people did not think it fitting either to hold festival as for a glorious victory or to mourn as for a great and irreparable calamity; and the senate, while ordering the required sacrifices to be offered to the gods, did not permit the consuls to conduct the triumphal procession in token of a victory. A few days later the city was filled with all sorts of provisions, as not only the men who had been sent out by the commonwealth but also those who were accustomed to carry on this trader had brought in much corn; consequently, everybody enjoyed the same abundance as aforetime.